Unlawful workers: Exploitation and regulation

Unlawful workers: Exploitation and regulation

This project examines the experiences of migrant workers, employers, NGOs and other key stakeholders in regional Australia with a specific focus on the impact of migration and labour regulation enforcement.

This research is listening to migrant workers tell their stories and experiences of working in Australia. It is being led by Marie Segrave from Monash University. It aims influence policy, law and practice to better protect migrant workers.

This research is conducted with the approval of Monash University Human Research Ethics (MUHREC), Project Number: MUHREC CF16/108 –2016000042.

This is an emerging area of research in Australia and will be part of the focus of Marie Segrave’s forthcoming book, Trafficking, Migration and Labour Exploitation (Routledge).

Marie Segrave’s current ARC DECRA research is investigating experiences, knowledge and understandings of labour exploitation of unlawful migrant workers in Australia.

Unlawful migrant labour has been identified as a significant issue for Australia, with estimates that between 50-100,000 non citizens are working illegally in Australia (Howell 2011). While increasingly immigration and labour regulatory responses are merging to respond to this issue, the impact of these practices upon the level and nature of victimisation and conditions of exploitation requires investigation.

Through examining experiences across the agricultural, construction and hospitality industries this research will identify whether and how regulatory systems impact on exploitative conditions experienced by unlawful migration labourers. The proposed program of research will investigate, map and analyse exploitation and regulation as experienced by unlawful migrant labourers.

The interim report – Exploited and Illegal: Unlawful migrant workers in Australia – seeks to draw attention primarily to the issue of unlawful migrant work in Australia; to debunk some key myths around this population; and to raise a challenge to policy makers and legislators to look towards a future that will enable impact labour reform to be achieved – reform that will reduce the levels of exploitation and modern slavery occurring within Australia.